Acetylsalicylic acid is the chemical name for which?

Acetylsalicylic acid is the chemical name for aspirin.

Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, used to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation. It also affects platelets, the blood cells involved in clotting, which is why doctors may prescribe low-dose aspirin for certain people at high risk of cardiovascular events. It is not suitable for everyone, and medical advice is important because it can increase the risk of stomach bleeding.

The medicine has a long connection with willow trees. Willow bark contains salicin, a compound that the body can convert into salicylic acid. In 1853, French chemist Charles Frédéric Gerhardt produced acetylsalicylic acid, although the compound was not immediately developed into a widely used medicine.

Bayer researchers produced a pure, stable form in 1897, and Bayer introduced the name Aspirin in 1899. The name is linked to acetylation and Spiraea, the plant genus associated with salicylic acid. Aspirin should not generally be given to children with viral infections because of the risk of Reye syndrome.